The Broken Road
by sethsduck17
Summary: My take on the NEXT next generation and of course, what would a Degrassi story be like with no drama? Spinner could single handily ruin a friends marriage and Alex and Ellie are confronted with impossible situations and that's just the start : R&R!
1. Here Is Gone

**a/n: Ok so I wrote this story like five years ago and I just recently found like allll my fanfiction that I had written out on paper and I really did like this story so I decided to revamp it and make it better. So I took down the old version of this and this is the new, awesome, spectacular version :) I hope y'all like it**

**Disclaimer: I of course, do not own DTNG. If I did, the old cast would still be there and I would end my boycott of the show (I refuse to watch it now lol) and "Here Is Gone" is by The Goo Goo Dolls

* * *

  
**

Chapter One- Here Is Gone

Blake dropped the boxes in the middle of the floor and sighed. His father has insisted on moving back to this place. Moving across town was one thing, but moving from Michigan to Canada?? He was pretty sure his father was high on something to think that this was a good idea.

"So what do you think?" his dad came to the door behind him with a smile.

"I think that I should be out with Julie right now," Blake said not looking him.

He sighed. "Blake, I know that you're mad at me for moving us-"

"Out of the country Dad!! What the hell!?"

"This is where I grew up, this has always been my home."

"Well that's just super for you. But Michigan, you know…in America, has always been my home."

"Blake, I didn't come here so we could fight all the time," his father said crossing his arms.

"Well then looks like someone made a mistake," he mumbled and his father sighed again.

"I'm going to order a pizza, can we pretend that we like each other tonight?" he asked rhetorically as he left.

"Denial will kill you," he replied loudly.

Blake looked around at the room he was supposed to live in and grabbed his jacket. If he had to spend one more minute in this room, he was pretty sure he was going to put his head through a wall.

"I'm going out."

"Oh really? Where?" his dad asked amused.

"Well gee Dad, I don't know. Maybe if I get lucky I can find the border and go home," he said as he left.

"I understand why you're so upset-"

Blake cut his father off at the door. "No you don't Dad!! I was about to start senior year and you just fucked that all up!! I get that you're sad, you have been ever since Mom died, but moving us up here…what the hell Dad?" he crossed his arms and stared at the older man but he just sighed. "That's what I thought. I'll be back later," Blake said as he let the door slam behind him.

Ever since that night four months ago, his father had been a wreck.

_"Hello?" Blake said through a mouthful of spaghetti._

_"Is there a Gavin Mason there?" an official sounding voice asked and Blake swallowed his food._

_"Uh, no he's not. Can I take a message?"_

_"Are you his son?"_

_No I'm the house sitter, he thought. "Yes," he replied out loud._

_"I have some news about your mother son."_

_"My mom? She's out of town; won't be back until next week."_

_"Well I'm afraid there's been an accident and your mothers been involved," the voice said gently._

_"Where?" Blake asked quietly._

_"Downtown-"_

_"Here!? She was coming home early??"_

_Silence on the other end of the line. "I'm so sorry. If you and your father could come down to the station we could take you to the hospital and fill you in on what has happened though."_

_"Yeah, sure," Blake said absently._

_His mother was dead. The officer didn't come out and say it but you didn't need to be a mind reader to know the meaning behind the words. There's been an accident followed by an 'I'm so sorry'? _

_"Dad," Blake's voice broke._

_"Blake? What is it, what's wrong?" Spinner asked, going into full on parent mode._

_"It's Mom-"_

_"What?"_

_"Mom! The police just called and they said that there was an accident…"_

_"Blake, stop fucking around," he said quietly but when his son didn't respond, he grew quiet as well._

_"I'll be right there," he said listlessly._

_"Rachel, come on," Spinner said quietly as he sat next to her bed and stroked her hair. They had been there for two days with no change; his wife was still unconscious and hooked up to life support. In all ways considered, she was dead. The doctors said there was no brain movement and the respirator was keeping her alive. Blake said point blank to just take her off because he would rather not see his mother lying helpless in a hospital bed, when he knew she wasn't going to wake up, but Spinner couldn't do it that easily._

_"Dad. There's not going to be any change," he said quietly from the door._

_"I know. I keep hoping that maybe one day-" he cut himself off as a sob escaped._

_"You know what you have to do, Dad. It'd be so much better than sitting here next to her and hoping and waiting for a change that we both know won't come," Blake said gently._

_Spinner nodded his head. "I know. I just…I can't look at her and do it…"_

_"Then have the doctors do it after we leave. Dad, you can't do this to yourself."_

_"What about you? Why are you so non chalant about this whole thing? Are you ok with the fact that your mother is dead?" his voice raised in Blake's direction._

_"What?! Are you even serious right now? You really think I'm just going about my life now that Mom's gone? You're fucking insane," he defended himself. "While you've been here, unable to get yourself to leave, I've had to stay at home, talking to people and you know there's this funny place I have to go every day. It's called a school. Just because I'm not sitting here, bawling my eyes out over her body, doesn't mean I'm not feeling this Dad and you know it."_

_Spinner looked at his son for a second but Blake just shook his head. "Forget it, I'm going home Dad."

* * *

  
_

"Can I help you?"

Blake shook his head and looked around at the shop he was at; Cameron's Shop.

"Uh…sorry. Just looking," he said as he tried to orient himself with his surroundings.

"At what? This is a garage kid, not a department store."

"Right, sorry," Blake said as he backed away.

"Unless of course you're here about the sign."

"The sign?" Blake looked in the window to see a help wanted poster and he smirked. "Yeah, I'm here about the sign."

The man just looked at him and smirked. "We'll see if you work. Come by Monday after school and we'll see what we can do."

"Got a job," Blake said later that night through a mouthful of pizza.

Spinner rolled his eyes but stayed quiet.

"It's at a garage. Cameron's Shop."

"Who's the owner?" Spinner asked after a second.

His son just shrugged. "Probably some guy named Cameron, I don't know. But he said to go back Monday after school. I might as well get to used to living in hell right?"

Spinner was quiet for a while, staring at his plate but not eating. Had Sean Cameron actually come back to Toronto? He had left all those years ago without telling anyone and never came back, no one ever expected to find him here again.

"Hello…" Blake snapped his fingers in the guys face.

"What?" Spinner shook his head.

"You're staring at the pizza like you found a long lost friend," Blake laughed.

"Yeah," he forced a chuckle. "Something like that."

* * *

"So you just hire random kids now or what?"

Sean turned around to see the guy standing his doorway and scowled.

"You lost or something?"

"I heard you gave my son a job today," he said as he leaned on the counter.

"Huh," was all he said and Spinner sighed.

"Come on Sean," he said lowly.

He crossed his arms. "What? You expect me to be all buddy buddy with you or something? In case you forgot, I moved because of the shit you did. You pushed him there Spinner," Sean hissed at him. "You pushed him and I had to stop him. I had to leave because of that; I had to leave my best friend, my home, my brother and my girlfriend!"

Spinner stayed silent as he just looked at the man that used to be his friend. He expected a big blowup because hell, no one had seen him since eleventh grade and that would be their freshest memory but he didn't take into account the effect that his involvement had in people's lives; like Sean's.

"I just hope that kid of yours isn't like you," he said.

"He's a lot like his mother," Spinner finally spoke.

"Well at least he has that goin' for him," Sean sighed.

"I'm sorry," Spinner whispered and Sean looked at him.

"Yeah I know," he rolled his eyes. "You were hanging out with Jay, you can't be blamed for being dumb."

"Weren't you his best friend?"

He nodded. "I still am. But he was a dumbass and the one thing he was good at was turning other people into dumbasses."

Spinner smiled as he knocked on the counter softly. "I just wanted to come by and see who owned this place. Blake told me the name but I didn't think it was really you."

"Spin, wait. I was just closing up, you wanna…get some beers or something?"

"Are you getting touchy feely Cameron?" Spinner grinned and Sean rolled his eyes.

"Fuck you man," he said as he punched him in the arm and they walked out.

* * *

The girl crept up to her mothers side of the bed and paused, deliberating on how to ask the question that will get her the answer she wanted. She sighed after a minute, knowing that since her parents were asleep, she would have to spell it out for them.

"Mom," she whispered as she shook her arm gently. "Mom, can I go with Charlie."

She mumbled and rolled over and her daughter sighed and tried again. "Mom," she said a little louder, this time poking her.

"Ask your father," she muttered as she flung a hand towards her husband.

"Fuck!" he suddenly yelled as she threw a hand in his direction and it made direct contact with his face. His eye to be specific.

"What?" she asked as his yelling woke her up. "Uhh, Michelle you're not going out in that."

"Are you trying to blind me?" he asked as he rubbed his red eye that was watering profusely.

"Did I hit you?" she asked confused.

"No I decked myself in the face," he rolled his eyes. "And what isn't she wearing?" he asked as he turned his head to look at his daughter.

"Daddy I know-"

"Michelle Elizabeth Hogart I suggest you put your brain back in your head," he snapped and she sighed.

"Mom used to dress like this!" she protested and he whipped around to face her.

His daughter was dressed in a pair of tight, low rise jeans that left almost nothing to the imagination, a tight hot pink tank top that showed off her cleavage and came down to right below her belly button, which was suddenly shiny.

"Before I knew you," she said to her husband sheepishly.

"Change now," he pointed out of their room. "And then we can talk about when you got your belly button pierced," he brought up and she froze.

"What?"

"I'm blind in one eye Michelle, not two," he said referencing his wife's physical blow.

"You are not blind!" she protested as their daughter exited the room.

Jay looked at her and she laughed at the bright red spot on his face. "Thanks babe, really. Now, are there pictures with you wearing those clothes?" he asked as he slid closer to her.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she feigned innocence and he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Did our daughter just pull that out of her ass then?"

"I…burned them," she said after a minute.

He laughed. "And by burned do you mean hiding somewhere in the closet?"

"Jason…" she warned.

He shrugged. "What? I won't do anything!! I just wanna see them. And hang them up," he said after a second.

"What?!" she shrieked. "You are not touching those!!"

"Why? They'll have nice frames!" he said as he shielded himself from another hand flung in his face.

"No!!"

"Seriously, Paige you need to live it up a little bit," he grinned as he answered the phone that started to ring beside their bed.

"Hello?" he asked laughing. "What's up Dylan? What do you mean you're at the hospital?" he asked confused as Paige sat up and ripped the phone from his hand.

"What happened?"

Jay sighed mournfully as he got out of his comfortable bed and picked up a pair jeans and waved them at his wife and she nodded. He grabbed a shirt and knocked on Michelle's door.

"Change of plans, you're going to the hospital kiddo," he said through the door.

"What? Why?" she asked as she flung the door open and revealed to her father a Kenny Chesney t-shirt.

"What the fuck is that?" he asked pointing and she rolled her eyes.

"He's a country singer," she said in a duh voice.

"I know that. Why is he on you?"

She shrugged. "Charlie got me listening to him and bought me a t-shirt. We're gonna go see him in a few months."

Jay closed his eyes and pinched his nose as if he were developing a headache.

"Paige!!" he yelled. "Our daughters been brainwashed!"

His wife appeared in the kitchen about two seconds later, her eyes all red.

"What happened?" he asked immediately.

"Mom. She was in an accident," she said softly.

"Is she ok?" Michelle asked.

She shook her head slowly. "No."


	2. All We Know

**a/n: obviously i don't own this show. still. :) and "all we know" is a paramore song**

* * *

Chapter Two- All We Know

Michelle pulled out a cd and put in the stereo. "Cute guys always cheer her up," she told Jay, who didn't respond as he drove them to St. Peters.

"Seriously?" he asked after a second.

"Do it for Mom, Dad," Michelle said as she squeezed her fathers shoulder.

He glanced at Paige, who was staring out the window and shut it off.

"I was listening to that," she spoke up.

"Oh come on!!" he yelled out and she turned and gave him a small smile.

He groaned. "That's not fair."

"Told you," Michelle stuck her tongue out as she popped it back in.

"He is cute," Paige informed her husband who made a face.

"Talk to JT Paige, this country shit has got to go," he said and she rubbed his arms gently.

"Do it for me babe?"

"Oh no, no, no!" he yelled. "Not gonna work! I told her that Charlie was bad for her," he said gesturing towards Michelle.

"Ok getting her to like country is not bad for her," Paige clarified. "Bad for her would be making her do drugs or turning her into a party girl."

"And making her like older, bald dudes that can't sing," Jay added as he nodded his head.

* * *

"Where were you!?" Marco came running at them.

"In bed?" Jay asked as his friend grabbed his arm. "I take it you weren't?"

"We have been here all night!!" he yelled at him.

He shrugged. "No one called us until Dylan this morning."

"What? What do you mean no one called you?"

Jay looked at him. "No one. Called. Us. And it is way too early to have you bitching at me," he said offhand.

"What happened?" Paige asked her brother.

Dylan sighed. "The other guy was drinking and not looking where he was going and…here we are," he sighed as he spread his arms wide. "We've been here all night," he echoed his partner.

"What? Why didn't you call?" Paige admonished him.

"I wanted to let you sleep," he shrugged.

She looked at him. "Normally I would be kissing you for that, but there is a time for waking me up," she said gently.

After Alex had gotten in good with Marco and Paige, she slowly introduced them to Jay and for a while the reception was pretty icy but after a while, Marco loosened up and being around Jay just became the norm, especially after he started dating Paige. Dylan on the other hand, was more hard work. He had never exactly forgiven Jay for his behavior during the time when Marco had come out and it wasn't until Jay told him that he was proposing to Paige that Dylan acknowledged their relationship. Even then, all he would say was "good". To Jay though, that was better than what he was getting; which was nothing. A good from Dylan meant that he liked him with his sister and agreed with them. That was as close to a blessing as he was gonna get and he knew it. They got along fine now but those years when they were dating…that was painful.

"Is she ok?"

Dylan looked at him and shook his head. "She's in ICU and the doctor said they were doing everything they could…"

"And you let me sleep!!?" Paige hit her brother on the arm.

"Excuse me dear sister, but correct if me you and Mom's relationship isn't rosy ok?"

"She's still my mother!" she protested as JT ran into the waiting room.

"Good, JT. We need to talk about your son getting my kid to like this friggen country music man," Jay said as he nudged him in the ribs.

"What are doing here?" Paige asked confused.

"Charlie. He got into an accident this morning."

Jay's ears perked up. "Really? Was he drinking by chance?"

The other man shook his head. "Charlie hates alcohol."

"Huh," was all Jay had to say and JT looked around.

"Why are you all here?"

"Mom was in an accident," Paige said slowly. "A drunk driver hit her…"

"You think it was my son?" he asked in astonishment. "Paige, come on!"

A doctor came by and JT reached out and grabbed him. "My son was taken here this morning, Charles Yorke. Can you tell me where he is?"

The doctor flipped through his charts and took JT aside. "Your son had quite the amount of alcohol in him last night," he said softly. "Almost twice the legal limit. The police will be here in a few minutes to get a statement from him but you can go and see him in the meantime. He's in room 713."

JT nodded in daze as the man walked away and he turned to face the rest of the people in the room.

"Is he ok?" Michelle asked him.

"What?"

She looked at him strangely. "Charlie. Is he ok?"

"Oh, uh yeah. Yeah he's fine."

"JT what's wrong?" Marco asked as he saw his friend looked shaken.

He sat down slowly. "That accident with your mom…"

Paige drew her breath sharply. "It was Charlie."

JT just nodded and she laughed bitterly. "Wonderful. My mothers probably going to die because your son thought it would be fun to go and get loaded and drive around town for a bit!"

"Paige-" Jay put a hand on her arm but she shook him off.

"Did you really think that he didn't drink? Any seventeen year old will tell their parents that!"

"Paige, I'm sorry," he choked out and she stared at him.

"Yeah, you are," she snapped as she stalked away.

"It was an accident though," he said softly and Jay sat down next to him, having had his fair share of drunk driving moments in his youth. In fact, there was a point in his life where he was a better drunk driver than a sober driver, at least that's what Alex continues to tell him.

"Just give her time. She knows ok?" he said softly and JT looked at him.

"My son's in the hospital for drunk driving and you want me to give your wife some time?" he spoke sharply to him.

Jay held up his hands in retreat. "I'm just trying to help you man."

"Not everything is about your perfect family ok?"

"There were plenty of times that I did what Charlie did too," Jay reminded him and JT snorted.

"Great, I'll have a kid that's just like you," he said and Jay recoiled as if he was struck.

"Fuck off," he mumbled as he got up and went to find his wife.

* * *

Michelle hesitantly walked towards the door and knocked on it softly.

"Hey you," the man greeted her.

"Hi," she said softly as she walked over to his bed.

He patted the spot next to him but she just stared at him. "You were in an accident," she started.

"Yeah-"

"And you hit my grandmother," she finished slowly.

Realization hit the boy and he grew quiet for a minute. "Is…is she ok?"

She shook her head. "I don't think she is Charlie."

"Michelle, babe I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking, I had no idea that it was her!"

She laughed roughly and shook his hand off her arm. "Who it is really doesn't matter Charlie. I mean yeah it matters that it's my grandmother, but you still hit a person because you thought it'd be fun to drink and drive. Don't you watch those stupid PSA's?" she glared at him.

"You do?" he gave her a weird look.

"Hello!!" she waved around the room.

"Right, sorry," he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry about your grandmother ok? I really don't know what else to say besides that and I hope she's ok."

"Wow," she rolled her eyes.

"What? What were you looking for when you came in here Mitch? I can't fix what happened," he told her in a gruff manner. "I'm sorry," he said reaching out to her as he saw her eyes go wide. "I love you Mitch, come here."

She took a step back and shook her head. "You always do this you know? You get drunk and do something fucked up or stupid and then the next day you think you can tell me you love me and it's ok? My grandmother is dying because you hit her!!"

"What do you want me to say!" he yelled back.

She laughed bitterly and crossed her arms. "Well that you're an asshole for one. And two, don't bother. I have nothing to say to you anymore. I've had enough of your bullshit, God knows you have enough issues for the both of us," she snapped as she walked out of the room.

"Michelle!" he yelled after her but she never came back.

They had fights like this before, sure but she never outright said that they were done. They had been together for a little bit over a year, which to them equaled forever, and she thought that she could get rid of him just like that? No, no she couldn't do that. He made up his mind to do anything he could to get her back, he just loved her way too much to let her go.

* * *

Alex sighed as she banged on her daughters door. "Kristin Marie! Open it, now!" she yelled.

The door flew open to reveal the sixteen year old, clad in a navy blue tank top and a pair of wide leg khaki's. "I heard you Mom. God I told you I was going," she snapped as she brushed past her.

"It's not a matter of going, because you are. It's a matter of staying, which you better. I mean it this year!"

"K," her daughters floated up the stairs and Alex sighed. She knew that tone, she had used it many times herself. That tone meant to give the impression that she was listening but she couldn't give a two shits about whatever her mother was saying and she would probably be getting the phone call at about one o'clock saying that her daughter never came back from lunch. Again. She sighed as she moved on to her sons room and knocked on his door.

"Hi Mom," he said as he opened it, all dressed and ready to go.

She smiled at him. "Thanks Derek."

He reached to hug her and she cried out in surprise. "What was that for?"

"Just thought you needed it. Plus Kris is being a bitch," he shrugged.

"Derek!"

"She is," he pointed out as he went downstairs.

Her two kids could not be more different. Kristin was a carbon copy of her and she had since taken to apologizing profusely to her own mother for her adolescent years. Derek on the other hand, was on the math team and played on the school basketball team. He was what could be defined as a geek but since he was on the basketball team and knew all the cool guys at school, he was defined as geeky-cool and the twelve year old seemed to like that title just fine.

"Jake's here, bye!!" Kristin's voice floated from upstairs as she ran outside to meet her friend. Alex sighed as she went to get dressed herself. Being a single mother of two wasn't easy and because of it, she had to work two jobs. She was a manager at Target and waitressed a few nights a week at a local bar. Even with those two things, there wasn't a lot of money but Kristin understood that and a lot of what she made waitressing she gave to her mom to help out the family and so far, Alex had never even heard her complain about it. Which was fine, she was pretty sure that was being stored as ammunition in the arsenal that all teenagers have to hold against their parents. What didn't help matters though, is that Derek's father refused to pay child support and to be honest, Alex didn't want it. Not from him. She had run from him when she had the chance and if he never found her, well that would be just fine. Kristin's father pitched in when he could but he was struggling as well, just like the rest of humanity.

"Are we walking today?" Derek's voice floated in from the hallway and Alex smiled as she met her son in the hallway.

"Yeah. Let's go kid," she said as she stuck her sunglasses on and grabbed her purse.

* * *

Jimmy Brooks loved the first day of school. Hell he loved any day of school. Another day of school meant another day at work, which meant he was still coaching basketball. He never thought that would be possible, not after the accident his junior year of high school. Sure enough though, Toby Issacs got the position of principal at his former alma Mata and one of the first things he did was call Jimmy and offer him the position. That had been five years ago and life had been good since then. It was an added bonus that now he could keep his eye on his daughter all day, much to her dismay of course.

"Did you see him?" she squealed to her friend.

"Oh my God, I think he got even cuter," her friend agreed.

"Hey Leighann, you comin' to the game on Friday?" he grinned.

"Dad, I kind of don't have a choice," she rolled her eyes.

For the past five years every night there was a game, his family had been sitting faithfully in the stands.

"Just checking," he smiled as he rolled away.

"You're dad is like so cool," her friend Hannah told her and Jimmy smiled. He was the cool dad apparently. His smile dropped off his face however when he saw someone walk through the front door.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed.

"Well this is still a school right? Then I work here."

Jimmy laughed bitterly. "No really, what do you want Spinner?"

"I work here," he said slowly.

"You have to be kidding me. They let you back in?" he gave his former friend a dirty look.

"Whatever Jimmy. I'm not looking for forgiveness, I'm just here to-"

"Do your job apparently. And good, because you wouldn't get it," he said wheeling away.

"Spinner, hey."

He turned to see two grown men walking towards him. One was definitely Toby, he hadn't changed that much but the other man he couldn't place. He looked vaguely familiar and his smile struck a chord but it was all lost on him.

"Who?" he asked pointing.

"Oh. JT," Toby nodded as he showed Spinner his office.

"Really? Does everyone that we used to go to school with work here?" he cocked his head.

"Close," Toby laughed. "Ellie's here too."

"Oh my God we do all work here," he closed his eyes and groaned. "Is anyone else hiding around here?"

Toby smiled and shook his head. "It's good to have you back Spin."

"Yeah, thanks for doing this Toby," Spinner nodded as he clapped his former classmate on the back.

He shrugged. "Just don't screw it up man," he said as he walked away.

"I thought class reunions were in a few years," a female voice said and Spinner smiled.

"Ellie Nash I presume?" he asked as he looked up.

She grinned at him and gave him a hug. She had really grown into herself, that was for sure. Her red hair was worn long and straight and she had developed a slight set of curves, which were being played up by a white cropped cardigan sweater, a light blue tank top, with a pair of black Capri pants.

"You look good," he stared at her and she slapped his hand.

"Taken, sorry," she giggled as she showed him the diamond on her left hand.

"And the lucky man…?"

She rolled her eyes. "I haven't changed that much Spin."

"Well Sean's a lucky man then."

She smiled softly. "What about you? Any ladies?"

He shook his head. "No my wife, she passed away recently."

Her eyes grew wide and her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my God, Spin I'm so sorry."

He shrugged. "I'll be fine. That's why I moved back though, you always come home you know?"

Ellie nodded. "Well if you need anything," she patted his arm.

"Ms. Nash?" a boy poked his head in Spinner's office.

Spinner waved at her as she walked out with the student.

"Kyle, what can I do for you?" she smiled warmly at the boy and shut the door to her office. She knew she wasn't supposed to play favorites, hell she didn't even know all the students at the school to play favorites, but she felt like there was a bond with her and Kyle. He always came to her when he had a problem and in return she didn't talk to him like he was a kid, she talked to him as if he was on the same level as her, which he appreciated.

"Mom. She, well she kind of kicked me out," he said as he fiddled with his backpack.

"I'm sorry, your mother kicked you out? Of the house?" she stopped and he nodded.

"Manuella Santos kicked her son out?" she arched an eyebrow, remembering Manny's own days at Degrassi when her parents weren't so fond of her choices. Funny how the apple never falls far from the tree.

"You know my mom?" Kyle's face screwed up in confusion.

Ellie sighed as she sat behind her desk and leaned on her elbows as she grabbed a picture and showed it to him.

"That's Principal Issacs, Coach Yorke, your mother, her old best friend Emma, Craig Manning, Marco Del Rossi, Paige Hogart, Alex Nunez, and that's me," she took a breath as she pointed each of them out.

"This is creepy. Like…'Twilight Zone' creepy," he crossed his arms uncomfortably.

"We all went to school here," she shrugged. "Of course we don't all keep in touch but…I will say that was one of the best times in my life," she finished softly. She shook her head to clear the thoughts. "Ok so Manny threw you out."

He nodded without saying anything.

"Well Kyle I'd love to help you, but I can't if you won't talk," she pointed out and the boy sighed.

"It's her boyfriend Leo. Whenever he's around, Mom gets into drugs and all that stuff and then he ends up telling me I'm in the way. This morning I was just eating my cereal and I saw him going Mom's purse, probably for money. I told him to knock it off and he got up in my face so…I hit him. I mean I thought he was going to hit me, I was only defending myself! But then he started screaming and Mom came downstairs and wouldn't listen to my side of the story. I told her what he was doing and that he was using her for money and she needed to stop doing drugs and all that and well, here I am," he said spreading his arms wide.

Ellie's mouth remained a jar at the whole story and she blinked her eyes rapidly as she tried to ingest it all.

"Ok," she started slowly. "Well, do you have a place to stay tonight?"

He nodded. "I'm staying with Kristin for a few days," he said referring to Alex's daughter who was his best friend.

"And after that?"

He shrugged. "I don't know," he said quietly.

She nodded. "Does Alex or Kristin know what happened?"

"Kristin does. I don't want her mom to know though," he pleaded and Ellie just looked at him.

"Kyle, I have to inform her. And…I have to call social services too," she whispered and he stood straight up, knocking the chair back.

"You can't!! They'll take me away from her!"

"Kyle, sit down," she said pointing to the chair. "And your mother threw you out of the house while she was high on drugs. That's not a good environment for a kid to live in! I don't have a choice, it's the law kid."

"Just, forget I said anything then ok?" he said as he stormed out of the office.

She sighed as she put her head in her hands.

"Rough morning?"

"It's only nine o'clock," she groaned to her friend and he smiled sadly as he entered the office.

"So, I couldn't help but over hearing…"

She raised her head and rested it on her arms. "What the fuck do I do here Spin? That's Manny's kid! And I'm just supposed to call DCF? Just like that?" she asked in a troubled voice.

He shook his head slowly. "I have no idea here El. I mean it is the law…"

"They never covered this in training. I want a redo," she mumbled as she put her head back on the desk.


	3. Stab My Back

**a/n: "Stab My Back" is owned by The All-American Rejects. In the original version of this people were saying that Manny wouldn't just up and kick her son for no reason so I decided to make this chapter mostly about Manny and what happened to her and hell I like it, so I hope y'all do too. :) Also, if you like what you read, please push that beautiful, pretty green button at the bottom of the page. I love reading the reviews especially for this story because I really like what I have planned for it and I would just be tickled pink to see what you guys think. Soooo...the moral of this a/n is...review, review, review!!! :) And then you'll get a cookie. A big one**

* * *

Chapter Three- Stab My Back

Alex took a deep breath and knocked on the door in front of her. She hated coming over here; she had repressed a lot of memories from her teenage years and when the door opened she knew that they would threaten to come back to the surface.

"Have you seen him?" the woman asked in a worried tone as she opened the door.

Alex rolled her eyes and sighed as she pushed through the door and stopped.

"Jesus Santos!" she yelled as she saw all the beer bottles everywhere, in addition to not only a certain sweet smell in the air but a nice small oval mirror on the living room table.

"That's not mine!" Manny protested and Alex gave her a dirty look.

"Oh so Kyle is the one that's hooked on drugs?"

"No! Ok so the coke might be mine but I didn't smoke out. And I only do the coke when I'm stressed out!" she sputtered trying to come up a reason that would validate this but Alex had none of it.

"I'm getting Kyle's things," she said quietly as she walked upstairs.

"Where is he?" Manny asked urgently.

"At school. It's practically ten o'clock Manny, where else would he be? And he won't be back here either, so don't worry about it."

"What?" she sniffed. "What do you mean he won't be coming back?"

"You kicked him out Manny!!"

Manny's face dropped in shock. "No! I told him to get out but I've told him that before, he knows that it means to come back after school…" she pleaded.

Alex shook her head, disgusted. "I don't know what happened to you Manny, and I don't wanna know to be honest. All I know is that your son is staying with me," she said brushing past her old classmate.

"This is nothing you didn't do!" she pointed out, her chin high in the air.

"You have to be kidding me. I was seventeen when I did this shit Manny. You're thirty-five!!" she hurled at her. "I had kids, I grew up. Maybe that's something you should think about."

Manny followed to her to the door. "He's not even your kid!!" she screamed as Alex started to put Kyle's stuff in her car.

"Really? Because he spends so much time at my house that he might as well be and I love him like he is one, which is more than I can say for you."

"Fuck you Alex ok?" Manny hurled at her tears streaming down her face.

Alex, in return, just smiled sweetly, gave her the finger and drove off.

How did she get in so deep? She could remember it like yesterday...

* * *

_She took a deep breath and knocked on the door, slowly adjusting the baby she had on her arm._

_"Manny, hey," he said slowly._

_"Craig," she swallowed. "We need to talk," she said as she walked past her._

_He nodded, not taking his eyes off the newborn baby she had in her arms. "Whose is that?" he asked in a tight voice._

_"This is Kyle Andrew," she said after a minute. "Your son."_

_His eyes grew wide. "My what!?"_

_She looked at him. "You do remember about nine months ago, after breaking up with Ashley you came over and said that it was always me that you wanted? You said that it was going to be different this time and you weren't going to leave. That…that you loved me," she said in a small voice. "Of course we all know how that turned out," she laughed bitterly in the next breath. "Ashley comes crawling back to you like she always does and you leave me, like you always do. Imagine my surprise when I missed my period the next month Craig."_

_"But, you never told me you were pregnant!" he yelled at her._

_She shook her head. "Of course not. My parents wanted me to get another abortion and there was no way in hell I was going through that all over again and I told them that. So they kicked me out, I moved in with Emma and I changed schools."_

_"I've never even seen you around," he said pointedly. _

_"Oh that, right. Well I made it a point to avoid you. I stopped going to the Dot, unless I was getting take out, I started to rent movies instead of going out and I just…dropped out of life. I didn't need Ashley sitting there judging me all over again ok? Not after what she did last time. What she did to us," she said softly as she looked at him._

_"You never even told me," he said in a strangled voice._

_She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry Craig, ok? I am. That was a bad decision on my part, but I was scared! I got pregnant by you, again."_

_He took a deep breath and looked at the sleeping baby she had in her arms. "So this…he's…mine?" he asked softly and she nodded._

_"Yours and yours alone," she smiled._

_"He's beautiful," he said tenderly. "Can…I hold him?" he reached out slowly and Manny gently handed him over. "He's so awesome," he said quietly and Manny smiled._

_"So I was thinking Craig, I mean if you want to be involved in the baby's life and all…that we could, I don't know," she hemmed and hawed and Craig looked up._

_"Manny, I can't do that. I'm with Ashley, you know that."_

_"I know but-"_

_"We made a mistake and that mistake came out with something awesome, but it doesn't change the fact that I love her ok? I'm going to propose to her soon," his voice dropped as he added the last part._

_Manny's hope crumpled inside her. "Oh. That's, awesome," she said lamely. "Congrats."_

_"Thanks," he smiled at her. "I can't wait for her to meet this guy."_

_Manny took a deep breath and kicked her inner voice that told her not to say this and opened her mouth anyway._

_"Actually, I prefer it if she didn't."_

_"What?" he looked up at her suddenly._

_She shrugged. "Well I mean last time she was so cruel and I haven't forgotten that and how she made me feel. How she made us feel. I don't want my son around someone like that."_

_"That was years ago! We're both adults now and she's changed," he said confidently. "She'll be so excited."_

_"Really. Well here's your chance to find out," Manny rolled her eyes as they heard a key being put in the door and Ashley flung it open, bogged down with grocery bags and stopped short when she saw Manny._

_"Hi," Manny waved at her._

_"What are you doing here?"_

_Craig stood up after handing Kyle back to Manny and crossed the room to his girlfriend. "Honey, why don't you sit down."_

_"I don't want to sit Craig. I want to know what she's doing here."_

_Manny clenched her jaw and looked at Craig, letting him know that he made his bed and now he can sleep in it too._

_"Well you see, after we had broken up a while ago, I…started dating Manny again. What I didn't know though was that…Manny was, pregnant."_

_"Pregnant," Ashley repeated the phrase and Craig nodded._

_"With…your kid?" she asked as she pointed an acrylic nail at her boyfriend who nodded slowly._

_She dropped the bags and glared at him. "What the fuck Craig! We were apart for three months, three months and you couldn't wait to just fuck her again? Is that it?!"_

_Manny stood up to defend herself and Ashley turned to face her. "You, get the hell out of my house. Don't say a word to me."_

_"He has a right to see his son Ashley," Manny said softly._

_"And I have a right to have a faithful boyfriend but people can't get what they want now can they?" she spat out as she stormed out of the apartment._

_Craig just gave Manny a helpless look as he ran after her._

_"Ashley!! Wait, come on!! I had no idea until today that anything happened!!!_

_"We had just broken up Craig, again! God, you do this every time!" she yelled as she pulled on her own hair._

_"I'm sorry ok?! I'll make it up to you, I promise," he pleaded as he grabbed her hands._

_She laughed roughly. "Make it up to me? How are you going to make up the fact that you knocked up Manny Santos, for the second time? How are you going to make up for the fact that you have a kid?!" she yelled at him._

_He dropped his hands and looked around helplessly. "I don't know ok? But I will."_

_She sighed and stared at him, an idea forming in her head. Craig would be sorry he said those words to her, that was for sure._

_"Actually, there is something you can do."_

_"Anything!" he jumped up._

_She smiled an evil smile. "No contact."_

_"What?" he stared at her._

_"No contact. Manny kept the baby from you for nine months, she can keep doing it. You didn't even know until today that you had a kid, it shouldn't be that hard."_

_"I can't do that," he shook his head angrily. "And what the fuck is wrong with you?"_

_"Me!? What is wrong with you!!?" she screamed. "I just found out that my boyfriend has a kid with the same woman that he cheated on me with before!! I wouldn't be yelling at me right now buddy," she shoved his shoulder._

_"I can't just not see my kid Ashley," he said lowly._

_"Then you can't have me. I can't pretend that everything is ok, knowing that Manny Santos will always be in our lives. I can't do it and I won't pretend to either," she crossed her arms._

_"You. You're serious," Craig said after a few minutes and she smirked at him, daring him to try her._

_He stepped away from her a few minutes later. "I can't make that choice Ashley. I can't do it."_

_"I think you just did," she spat at him as she walked away._

_After that, he told Manny that he would always be there for his son. Always. Ashley moved out of the apartment and Craig had Manny move out of Emma's and into the apartment with him so they could try and have a real family. A real family was always something that Craig wanted; so close yet so far and he blamed his father for that. His father that used to beat him and made him stay awake at night for fear that he would finally fall asleep just to have his father beat down the door with his golf clubs again. He never got the chance then to have that family, but now, with Manny and their son, he could. He put on a smile every morning and loved the little boy with all his heart but something was missing and it was evident to everyone. Manny would often wake up in the middle of the night to find him watching tv mindlessly on the couch, claiming that he couldn't sleep. He had trouble eating and there were times when Kyle would cry and Craig simply wouldn't hear him at all. Manny took note of all this and figured out what was missing; that conniving bitch Ashley had taken his heart with her when she left. So she decided to fix it; one day when Craig was at work, she packed up all their belongings and left. She wrote Craig a note, telling him to go back to Ashley and it was fine and that she understood. She didn't want anything from him, and in return she would appreciate it if he never looked for them; she didn't want Kyle's head to be messed with as he grew older. That night of course, Craig came pounding at the Nelson's door but Manny stayed in the basement, crying her eyes out, and Snake calmly told Craig that he wasn't sure where she had gone. The whole family hated lying to him about the whereabouts of his son but out of respect for Manny, who was like their other daughter, they obliged. Especially when she told them all what had happened. A year after that, she turned on the radio to hear his voice coming out of it with Ashley's harmony mixed in and she snapped it off immediately. She always knew that he would go back to her, it was what he did. It was the Craig Manning way._

_She got a job waitressing at night and Emma helped out with Kyle as often as she could but it was still hard to make ends meet. She knew that she had to move out of the Simpson's house soon, Kyle was getting big and it wasn't fair to anyone that she stayed there like she was. That was the night she met Tom. Tom was a regular customer and he noticed her crying at the bar one night and couldn't help himself._

_"What's wrong?"_

_She sniffed and looked at him. "Oh God, nothing. I'm sorry, I shouldn't be doing this in public," she said as she went to get up._

_"It's ok," he put a hand on her arm to make her sit down again. "I've been coming here for months and you always ask me how I am so now I'm going to ask you. How are you Manny?" he asked her seriously._

_She shook her head. "I'm fine! It's just financial trouble that's all," she smiled at him but he wasn't buying it._

_"How old are you?"_

_"Excuse me?" she sat back._

_He laughed. "No I promise I'm not a sketch ball, I'm just saying that you look like you're about nineteen or twenty. You probably still live with your parents, how much trouble could you be in?"_

_"Well I have a son that's going to be learning to walk soon and the space is really cramped so…bad," she laughed._

_He nodded silently as he looked at her until she began to squirm. "I think I can help you."_

_She looked at the man silently for a minute. He appeared to be in his middle to late twenties, dressed normally and he didn't look like a pimp so it couldn't be prostitution he was trying to get her into…_

_"How?" she asked in spite of herself._

_He grinned. "I know how you can make some fast cash," he said simply._

_"I'm not a whore ok?" she said quickly and he started laughing loudly._

_"I wasn't suggesting anything," he smiled at her._

_"Then…what?"_

_He looked around slowly and reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag filled with white powder. "You know what this?"_

_"Is that coke?" she whispered and he nodded. "You can't have that in here!" she hissed and he motioned for her to calm down._

_"I sell it Manny. I have been for a while and I have no money troubles. Ever. It's fast, easy cash girl," he said lowly._

_She sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. "I am not selling drugs here buddy."_

_He shrugged. "Fine, suit yourself. It's not for everyone. But if you change your mind, let me know."_

_"Hey!" she called after him and he turned. "What's your name?"_

_He smiled. "Tom."

* * *

_

"Michelle."

The girl sighed and didn't look up. "You better not be here to vouch for your brother," she warned her best friend. Lauren looked sheepish.

"He misses you Mitch. We all do."

She snorted. "Yeah well I miss my Grandma but there's nothing I can do about that now is there?"

"Is she ok?"

"No she's not ok! She died Lauren ok? She died a few days ago because your fucking brother thought it was ok to drink and drive!!"

Lauren held up her hands in defense against her friends actions. "Ok, take the volume down just a little bit here. I don't know what happened that night, but we both know that that's not Charlie. He doesn't do that!"

"Well apparently he did," she said as she walked away.

"It was an accident Michelle, come on!"

She whirled around and glared at her. "Look, I get that you love your brother and you guys are really close and all that ok? But. Back. The. Fuck. Off."

Lauren watched her storm down the hallway and sighed.

"Just give up," she said aloud as a brunette head popped around the corner and her twin brother came out to talk to her.

"I can't Lauren!" he whined. "I love her!!"

"Well looks like you royally screwed yourself this time. Don't count on it," she slapped his chest and walked away. "And this is the last time I do your dirty work ok? Besides, Dad's gonna kill you when he finds you here," she sang out.

Charlie ran and caught up with his sister. "You don't understand Lauren ok? I love her," he repeated.

She sighed. "Charlie, I get that you love her, but obviously you leave a bad taste in her mouth. You have to let her make up her own mind ok? There's nothing you can do, short of stalking the poor girl," she tossed her brown hair over her shoulder. "Her grandmother died, you know that?" she asked softly.

He shook his head while staring at the floor. "No."

She nodded. "So just leave her alone ok?"

* * *

"Oh Derek!!" a male voice sang out and Derek's heart sank to his feet as he turned around and saw David Yorke standing in front of him with his best friend.

"Pay up," his friend Ryan sneered and Derek paled.

"Um, I don't have the money today but I can…can give it to you tomorrow," he stuttered as he backed away and hit a row of lockers.

David cocked his head to one side. "Doesn't the week start on a Monday?"

"Why yes David, I believe it does," he grinned as they closed in on the boy. "Listen piss puddle, we said pay up on the first day of the week and we'll leave you alone. Not the second."

Derek closed his eyes as he saw a fist fly towards his stomach and a second later, the pain erupted and he doubled over, coughing. Before he could catch his breath and ready himself Ryan knocked him down and kicked his kneecaps, thereby making it utterly painful for him to get up.

"Well, well, well," a third voice joined in and Derek slowly opened his eyes.

He had seen this kid before, no one messed with him since he beat the shit out of an eighth grader that tried to take his lunch money.

"Tyler, hi," the boys said nervously as the red head circled them.

"Watcha doin?" he asked playfully.

"Nothing!" David said quickly and Tyler slammed him up against a locker.

"If I see you touch him again, you'll be shitting your pants," he said through clenched teeth.

The two boys nodded in fear as they ran down the hallway and Tyler helped Derek to his feet.

"Wow," was all Derek could muster, as he stared at the boy in awe. "How did you do that?"

He shrugged. "Remember Joey Livingston?"

Derek nodded his head and Tyler smiled. "All it takes is one buddy," he said as he put his arm around the boy's shoulders. "What's your name anyway?"

"Derek."

"Derek, you can't let guys like that push you around man," he said as they walked down the hallway together.

* * *

**ANNNND GO!!!!! I would love to hit 10 reviews and until I do, I'm not posting another chapter. It's only 4 guys, I have faith in y'all that you can do this lol**


	4. Kill The Messenger

**a/n: ok so i couldn't stay away forever. "kill the messenger" is owned by jack's mannequin (only one of the bestest bands evvver lol) and yeah....degrassi is still not mine.**

Chapter Four- Kill The Messenger

_Oh my God, this hurts like hell_

_I had that dream again_

_Where I was lost for good in outer space_

_So tell me, doctor, how to shake_

_A waking nightmare_

_That is only worse when I am sleeping_

"So what are you going to do?" Kristin crossed her arms.

Kyle just shrugged. "I'll figure it out Kristin. Just, leave it alone ok?"

"Leave what alone?" Hannah Manning plopped down beside the pair.

"Nothing," he said at the same time that Kristin said, "His mother kicked him out."

"Kris!" he glared at her.

"What? It's not like it's not a regular occurrence," she rolled her eyes.

"She does have a point," Hannah pointed out.

"It's different this time," he said. "I'm not going back."

"And where are you going to go?" Kristin asked again and he glared evil daggers at her. "I have a right to know!" she defended herself. "You are staying at my house. And you know Mom's gonna wanna know where you're going."

"Don't tell her," he said flippantly.

"Right because she won't notice the sudden disappearance of a sixteen year old boy."

"Have you told anyone?" Hannah asked.

"Yeah, hello," Kristin waved.

"Anyone besides Kristin," she rephrased it at the same time the door opened.

"Kyle?" the teacher asked and held up the pink slip.

"What did you do?" Kristin hissed at him.

He grabbed his bag. "Nothing."

"That's for the counselors office Kyle, now what did you do?"

"I told Ms. Nash about it ok? Jesus, calm down," he rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you," she pretended to clear out her ears. "You told a counselor that you got kicked out of your house? You know that she'll hand you over to the state right?"

"She won't," he disagreed. "Ms. Nash is different."

"Ok just because you have a boner for the woman doesn't mean she's different Kyle," Kristin replied harshly.

He just looked at her and shook his head before walking out.

_Kill the messenger_

_I swear it's not me_

_It's just someone I used to know_

_And get to church 'cause you're a good girl_

_And I never told you that_

_And all I need from you _

_Could be the thing that leaves us both up here forever_

_I'm gonna send a little rain your way_

_I'm gonna send a little rain_

"You called?" he rapped his knuckles on Ellie's door.

She looked up and smiled at him. "Yeah, come on in. I have a proposition for you actually."

His eyes grew large and a grin formed on his face. "Helll yes," he laughed.

She stopped and gave him a look and the grin dropped off his face instantly. "Not nice," he mumbled.

"What I was actually going to ask you, although I'm not sure I should now, is if you would be interested in another option besides Kristin's house?"

"Yeah, not a foster home," he said pointedly.

"I haven't made any calls yet," she held up her hands. "I had an idea actually. What about me?"

"What about you?" he asked confused.

"I have a house with a spare bedroom."

"Yeah…" he said, still unsure of what she was getting at it.

"I have an extra bedroom at my house. With no one in it. And you need a place to live."

Realization dawned on his face. "What?! Are you shitting me?" he asked stunned.

She rolled her eyes. "No I am not shitting you," she said back softly.

"Is that even allowed?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," she answered honestly. "What are your other options?"

He sighed. "Disappearing and hoping that Alex won't notice," he said weakly. "I know that I could go home and my mom would just make some excuse though."

Ellie shook her head. "You're not going back there. And if you do, I promise that I will call the state."

"Is that a threat?" he asked as he crossed his arms.

"You bet it is," she said as she crossed hers back.

"So I can either stay with Kristin until it gets too crowded…or live with you?"

Ellie shrugged her shoulders and he sighed and dropped his head back.

"Can I think about it?" he asked a minute later.

"Sure. But I need an answer by the end of the week."

"It's already Wednesday though!" he protested.

She smiled at him. "I know," she said as she sat down behind her desk.

*~*~*

"Seat taken?"

She looked up to see a boy staring down at her and moved her bag to the floor.

"Thanks," he smiled as he sat down. "I'm Blake by the way."

"Hannah," she returned.

"I like that name," he smiled and she started laughing. "What?" he asked.

She just looked at him for a minute. "Are you seriously using that as a pickup line?"

"…No," he mumbled.

"Oh my God," she laughed. "You really need to work on that."

"Thanks," he rolled his eyes.

The teacher walked into the room just then. "Ok everyone, let's see those beautiful pillows that I know you all slaved so hard over! Rachel, I don't want to hear that your dog ate it, it ate all my homework too. Tomorrow or points off," he said as the girls hand went down and she nodded. He got around to Hannah and Blake and picked up the pillow that was sitting in front of the girl.

"This is a pillow people! She did this on a bus, you can do it in a stationary room," he tossed it back before moving on.

"You did that on a bus?" Blake asked as he picked up the object.

"Yeah my parents are on the road a lot," she shrugged.

"And you go with them?"

She sighed and glared at him. "That band, Falling? That's them," she said softly and his mouth dropped open.

"Bullshit. Your dad's Craig Manning?"

"The one and only."

"Why are you here? I would be everywhere with them and out all night."

She shrugged. "It's pretty overrated actually. Besides Principal Issacs is my uncle."

"Wow that blows," he nodded and she shrugged.

"Blake Mason?"

He looked up to see the teacher looking right at him.

"Yes?"

He held out a handful of papers to him. "Welcome to Home Ec and thank you for providing more testosterone in this room," he joked. "You can call me Coach or Mr. Yorke, either one," he said as he walked to the front of the room.

"Coach?" he muttered to Hannah.

"Cheerleading," she responded and he smirked. That guy had to get so much ass.

*~*~*

_It's not so easy caving in_

_I walked by your apartment_

_Twice today while you were gone at work_

_And all the colors got so dim_

_It's not as cold out here_

_But come quick, I am losing feeling_

The blonde stalked up to the other two women talking behind the counter.

"Tell your son to stop calling my house Emma," she snapped.

"Why yes, I'm doing fine Paige, thanks for asking," she responded by rolling her eyes. "And he's said he's sorry like fifty times already, he knows that he made a mistake. Why can't you just forgive him?"

Paige stared at her. "Forgive him? Just like that?" she snapped her fingers. "It doesn't work like that Emma. He killed my mother. She's not coming back and it's his fault."

"Well what do you want from me then?" Emma's voice raised to match her friends. "And why the hell are you mad at me? You think I pushed him behind the wheel and gave him a bottle of beer and told him to have fun?"

Paige just rolled her eyes as she grabbed her purse. "Whatever. I have to leave," she said, directing her comment towards Liberty.

"What's up?"

She sighed. "Jay just called from the hospital, apparently he had an accident at work."

"Let me know if you need anything," Liberty smiled as Paige walked out.

"Ok what was that?" she put down her clipboard and stared at Emma.

"What was what?" Emma replied, completely oblivious.

"Hello, you and Paige just had a shouting match that involved your son killing her mother?"

"I didn't tell you?"

Her friend shook her head and sat down on one of the chairs. "No but you can start now."

Emma sighed and closed the glass door to the jewelry she was arranging. "Apparently Charlie had too much to drink one night and he got behind the wheel. The next morning we got a phone call from the hospital that said he was in the hospital and when JT gets there, he sees Paige and her family with Dylan and Marco. Apparently her mother was hit by a drunk driver."

"Let me guess, it was Charlie?" Liberty questioned.

"Of course. And to make matters worse, she died because of it," Emma said miserably and Liberty's mouth formed an O. "I know. And Paige is blaming me for this and Michelle is refusing to breath in Charlie's direction."

"Ok well you didn't force him to drive, that was true. But can you blame her for not talking to him? She's upset right now. Do you know if they're pressing charges?"

Emma shrugged. "We have no idea. Right now he's staying at home and Lauren's bringing back his homework. I don't think they need to though, he's underage and he killed someone. I don't know if we can come back from this," she said softly.

Liberty put her arm around her friend and gave her a much needed hug.

_Kill the messenger_

_I swear it's not me_

_It's just what I used to know_

_And get to church 'cause you're a good girl_

_And I never told you that_

_And all I need from you _

_Could be the thing that leaves us both up here forever_

_I'm gonna send a little rain your way_

_I'm gonna send a little rain, send a little rain_

*~*~*

"Who the fuck hit you?" Kyle immediately asked as Derek met them after school.

The younger boy squirmed uncomfortably. "No one. Let's just go ok?"

Kristin looked around and saw two boys jeering at them and looked back at her brother.

"Was it those two?" she asked softly and Derek's eyes darted over and he shook his head vehemently.

Kyle stood up to his full height and walked over the pair.

"Got a problem?"

"Not with you," David responded.

"Got a problem with my brother?" he asked.

The kid looked at him this time. "No."

"Really? 'Cause I think you do," Kristin joined the conversation. "He can only run into the lockers so many times," she said as she put her hands on her hips.

"Like we're afraid of a girl," Ryan sneered and Kyle slammed him up against the wall.

"She's worse than me," he said into the boys ear. "And I'm not even related."

Kristin had her arm around Derek's shoulders as they looked at the boys. "Do you have something to say to my brother?"

The two exchanged looks but said nothing and Kristin just smiled. "Ok then. Have it your way."

At that moment, Kyle kneed Ryan in the stomach and he fell to the ground.

"Let me ask this again. Do you have to say to him?"

David looked at Kyle, who was facing him, and Kristin and Derek in front of him.

"Whatever. Sorry," he muttered as Kyle hit upside the head, but not hard enough to hurt him.

"What the fuck dude?" he spun around.

"I just didn't believe you," Kyle grinned.

"Hey!" the group turned to see a grown man running up to them. "Kyle, what is going on?!"

"Is this your son?" Kristin asked confused.

"Yes!"

She nodded. "Huh. Well this is my brother. And they like to beat the crap out of him on a regular basis."

JT turned his gaze back on his son and his friend that was getting off the ground. "Get in the van," he said lowly. "We'll talk about this at home."

"Dad-"

"Get in the van!" he yelled this time and the teenagers jumped at that. They had never seen Coach Yorke upset before, he always had a smile on his face.

"Are you ok?" JT turned to Derek and he nodded. He smiled a tight smile at his sister and got into his van and drove away.

"What the hell was that?" Kyle whispered.

"I have no idea," Kristin replied as she picked up her brothers bag and started the walk home.

_I'm gonna send a little_

_Rain to pour down on you_

_Rain that makes the flowers bloom_

_Rain to leave you all alone_

_But keeps eyelashes falling_

_Your wishes washed away_

*~*~*

"You know kid, I had my doubts about you but you're pretty damn good. Whose kid are you really?" Sean joked, knowing that Spinner didn't know much about cars.

Blake just grinned as a woman walked into the garage.

"Hey Paige," Sean raised his hand in greeting.

She smiled as she walked up to him. "Hey. Is the car ready by chance? Jay got hurt at work. Again," she sighed.

"I think I'm going to start a pool about when he gets injured," Sean quipped as he grabbed her keys from the cabinet. He tossed them to Blake.

"Black Kia in back," he said as Blake caught them.

"Who's that?" Paige watched him exit.

"Blake, just moved here from Michigan. He claims that he's Spinner's kid but we both know that Spinner's a retard when it comes to cars."

"That's Spinner's son?" she asked slowly.

"You know my dad?" Blake asked from behind them. He smiled as he handed her the keys.

"Yeah. I guess you can say that," she said faintly as she just stared at him.

He started to look around awkwardly after a minute. "Ok then," he said uncomfortably as he walked away.

"Paige?" Sean waved his hand in front of her face. "Earth to Paige!"

"What?"

"You ok? You look like you just saw a ghost."

She smiled at him and he could tell it was a pretense. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'll uh…have Jay call you later," she said as she drove away quickly.

Sean just shook his head as he turned around and came face to face with Blake.

"What?"

"Do I have something on me or something? Like oil on my ass or whatever?"

"I am not checking out your ass," Sean rolled his eyes as he walked away.

"Well what was her deal? She just stared at me. It was creepy man!"

The older man shrugged. "Paige has her…moments," he said as he walked into the back.

Blake stayed out front but his mind stayed on the woman that was just here. She looked like she saw a ghost when she saw him and he could have sworn that she looked familiar, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

_Kill the messenger_

_I swear it's not me_

_It's just what I used to know_

_And get to church 'cause you're a good girl_

_And I never told you that_

_And all I need from you _

_Could be the thing that leaves us both up here forever_

_I'm gonna send a little rain your way_

_I'm gonna send a little rain, send a little rain_

_i'm gonna send a little rain your way_

_

* * *

**so tell me what y'all think of my new layout idea here with the lyrics to the songs involved in the story. i thought i'd give it a try :) and as always, push that pretty green button and leave me some love  
**_


	5. Rewind

a/n: so i know that i haven't updated anything that i have in well....a long time. i still have this story and want to keep it going and i'm hoping that y'all will review to let me know that you're still there!!! :) the more reviews i get the faster i upload....

disclaimer: "rewind" is by the stereophonics ((terrific song btws and i think you all should go give it a listen))

* * *

Chapter Five- Rewind

Sean leaned against the doorway and looked at his fiancé cleaning the room up. It was three days ago that she came home and sprung the news on him that Manuella Santos's son was coming to stay with them. Oh wait, not stay, to live with them. They had never formally met this kid before and if Sean was being honest, he was more than a little pissed with her when she said that.

_"I'm sorry, we're what?" he asked, fork suspended in the air._

_She cleared her throat. "We're giving Kyle a place to live."_

_"Who the hell is Kyle?" he asked confused as he looked at Tyler. He knew all of his friends and there was no one named Kyle in there._

_"Manny's son," she said softly and he sat straight up._

_"What happened?" he asked immediately thinking the worst. "Is she ok? And why us?" he asked after a second. "What about Emma? That was her best friend," he said in a duh fashion._

_Ellie sighed. "First off, no she's not ok. I've talked to Alex and Kyle today and they've both told me that she's hooked on so many drugs that they just can't keep count anymore. And the why us part is because, well I'm his counselor at school," she shrugged self-consciously. "We're close and he told me about this the other day. It was either this or calling the state ok?"_

_"So call the state Ellie," he deadpanned. "We are not having drugs in this house, around our son."_

_She stopped and stared at him for a minute._

_"What?" he snapped._

_She smiled slightly. "Tyler. You called him our son. You've never done that before," she all but whispered._

_"Yeah well," he said gruffly. "I was going to tell you later about it."_

_"About…"_

_"I want to adopt him," he shrugged as if he said these things every day and Ellie's eyes welled up with tears._

_"Really?"_

_"He calls me Dad, El," he laughed. "And we've been together since he was eight so yeah, why not? He's like my son anyway."_

_A laugh escaped her and she jumped up and hugged him ferociously._

_"And don't think that you can avoid the other topic because I said this," he said suddenly. "I mean it, I don't want him here."_

_"Why?" she asked exasperatedly._

_"His mothers hooked on drugs? You think he's going to be clean?"_

_She pursed her lips and looked down at her lap. "I was."_

_"That's different!"_

_"How?" she glared at him. "My mother was an alcoholic. I could have had a drink any god time I wanted to and she probably would have poured it for me! Just because his mothers strung out, doesn't mean he is. You should know that," she snapped at she got up._

_"Can we just talk about this?" he called to her and all he heard back in response was the slamming of their bedroom door._

_The boy that was sitting there quietly looked up at Sean and smirked. "Am I getting a brother?"_

_Sean sighed as he stared at him. "Eat your dinner Tyler," he said as he got up.

* * *

_

"I think you stole some of your mothers stash."

Kyle turned and sneered at his best friend.

"I'm just saying! I mean you're moving in with your…guidance counselor. Because you guys are just so buddy buddy. I give you a month max there before you're back here."

He sighed. "Do you always have to be such a bitch?"

She grinned at him. "You love me."

"That remains to be seen," he tossed back and she laughed.

"You know Mom said you can stay here right?"

"Your mother is already having a hard time Kris. She works two jobs and she has you and Derek to worry about and she just doesn't need another thing on top of that. You know that I love her, but I can't do that to her," he shook his head. "And fuck you, I'll be there longer than a month."

"Oh I'm only giving you a month because I think Ms. Nash's fiancé will catch you oogling her," she smirked.

"Fuck they do live together don't they?" he muttered.

"You are such a perv!!" she yelled and threw a pillow at him, which he caught.

"It was a joke asshole."

"You're an asshole," she retorted.

He rolled his eyes but let it go. The doorbell rang and they both looked at each other and then at the door. This was the end, so to say. His guidance counselor was here to collect.

"Still time to say no," she whispered as they stood at the top of the stairs.

He smiled softly but shook his head.

"Whatever," she muttered as she descended.

"Hey Kristin," Ellie smiled at her.

She paused and looked at the woman. "…Hi."

Alex just sighed. "Get over it Kristin. He'll be two blocks away, the only difference is now you can't stay up until four am together anymore."

"Whatever," she repeated as she walked into the kitchen and stared moodily out the window. There was Ellie's car and leaning against it…was the hottest older guy that she had ever seen. His beater accentuated his muscles perfectly and his hair was kind of a mess, but it matched the scowl on his face. Without realizing it, she had gotten so close to the window that her face was practically pushed against it. Kyle came into the room and peered over her shoulder and started to laugh hysterically, causing his friend to jump four feet in the air.

"What the hell dude?!" she pushed him.

He just grinned as he looked at her. "You think he's hot?"

She blushed. "No I thought the car looked cool."

"You realize that that's Ellie's fiancé right?" he laughed some more and her face just dropped.

"Shut up."

"Oh my God this is great! I think she's hot and you're in love with him! I think together we can make this work Kris," he said slinging an arm around her shoulders.

"God! I hate you!" she snapped as she walked out of the room and Kyle, still laughing, met up with the two older women in the doorway.

"What's so funny?" Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing that Kristin won't kill me for saying," he grinned.

Ellie turned back to her friend and shook her head. "So what do you say? Dinner?"

Alex paused and then nodded. "Sure, why not."

Ellie grinned as she grabbed one of Kyle's bags off the floor and started out to the car.

"Kristin, Derek! Let's go, we're going out!" she called.

"What?" Kristin came around the corner, looking mortified.

Kyle just smirked at her and she punched him in the shoulder.

"You are dead Santos, you hear me?" she threatened as he followed her out of the house.

* * *

"Hello…"

Michelle Hogart shook her head to clear her thoughts as her coworker, Michael, waved his hand in front of her face.

"Sorry," she smiled sheepishly.

He shrugged as he leaned on the counter. "So what's up? You've been out of it all night."

She shrugged. "Charlie."

He nodded slowly. "Yeah I heard about that. I can't believe that he was that stupid," he muttered.

"I mean yeah he parties and stuff, but he always calls someone you know?" Michelle kept talking, almost to herself. "Granted I was always the one that he called but that ok with me. It was ok because it was safe."

Michael slid closer to her and wrapped an arm around the girl. "I wish I could say that I know what you're going through, but I don't. I know that we're not exactly best friends, but if you ever need anything Michelle, just let me know ok?" he said softly.

She looked into eyes and nodded slowly as she took a step back to put some comfort space between them.

"Seriously? Michael and Michelle? Are you two related, because that's what parents do when they try to be funny," a girls voice said loudly.

Michelle turned and saw a girl with black hair standing there, arms crossed.

"Can I help you?" Michelle asked rudely.

"Yeah. Service would be super," the girl quipped back.

She cut her eyes at the guest as Michael suddenly touched her arm. "Why don't you go see if we have…any popcorn in the back?" he said softly.

"Why, is there going to be a random rush?" she joked as she turned to face the counter and froze.

"Hi Michelle."

She stared for a minute. "Charlie," she breathed out.

"I've been trying to call you," he said softly.

"Yeah," she nodded. "We broke up though Charlie. I have nothing to say to you."

He shook his head. "You can't just throw everything that we had away Michelle," he said in a normal voice.

"I didn't. I believe that was you," she snapped and he rolled his eyes.

"It was a mistake!"

She threw her rag down on the counter and squared off with him. "You can not be serious right now. You think you can call what you did a mistake and everything will be ok?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Aren't we being a little overdramatic about this?"

"No, but if you want to see overdramatic, you should stick around for five more minutes," she said loudly as he chuckled.

The few customers in line, including the rude girl, were silent as their heads moved between the pair as if watching a ping pong tournament.

"Hey babe!" a new voice called out and everyone's head swiveled towards it. "What time do you get off tonight?"

She shot the guy a weird look and turned back to Charlie, who was staring at the boy.

"Who the hell are you?"

"I'm her boyfriend. You know, the guy you used to be," he said nonchalantly and Michelle's eyes grew wide. "So, what time do you get off?" he posed the question again.

"You're not dating him," Charlie said to her. "She's not dating you bro, hate to break that to you," he smirked.

"Hey boozy, go crash a car," he replied and Charlie threw down his soda on the floor.

"Alright!! That's it!" Michael suddenly yelled. "Charlie, get the hell out. Everyone else gets free crap. Let's go," he said waving people towards the counter.

"Oh I'm not leaving," Charlie said.

"Oh I think you are," Michael responded as he waved down a security guard. "Don't let him back on the premises."

Michelle turned back to the boy with wide eyes.

"Wow," she said softly.

He shrugged. "You looked, and sounded, like you really did not want to be talking to him."

"Yeah, thanks," she nodded slowly.

"I'm Blake," the boy offered. "New here. You go to the high school?"

"Yeah, sophomore."

He smiled at her. "Cool. I'm a senior. Well it was nice meeting you Michelle and if that guy gives you any more shit, you come find me ok?" he said as he winked at her and left.

"Ok who was that?" Michael came over to her.

"New kid," she smiled and walked away.

* * *

The teenager stood on the porch of the blue house and stared at the white door in front of him. He knew that their parents were friends with him but still coming to his house, well it was just weird. He didn't tell anyone where he was going, he just left; not that this father would have cared or even have noticed.

_"David do you have to do this?" the man asked with a sigh that night._

_"Do what?" he looked at him in confusion._

_"You know what. Fighting with people at school, causing uproars, flunking tests and I'm even getting calls at work about you skipping class. David you're thirteen, what the hell are you thinking?"_

_"Dad, it's not that-"_

_"You think it's not that bad?! You're brother came this close to being thrown in jail, your mother and I are holding our breaths that we don't get a court case because of this and then you start fights with random kids and don't even bother showing up to class but it's not that bad? Do you fucking think sometimes?!" he yelled, his voice getting progressively louder with every sentence. "You think everything is all about you, well guess what kid, it's not. This family is going through enough shit right now without you acting up!"_

_"You're just pissed that he's making you look bad," David muttered under his breath and walked away._

_"What?" his dad's eyes grew wider._

_David stopped but did not turn to face him. "Nothing. Don't worry Dad, I won't disrupt the perfect family image ok?" he sneered._

_Before either person knew what was happening, he stalked over to his son, spun him around and nailed him to a wall and aimed his fist at his face._

_"I know this family isn't fucking perfect," he said deathly quiet as he let go of his son and let him slide down the wall in silent horror at what his father had just done._

_Ten minutes later he poked his head into David's room but did not find him there. He slowly made his way back to where he was last and saw him still sitting there against the wall, staring into nothing._

_"David, I-" he stooped low to get to an even height with his son but he came to life at that same instant._

_"Don't fucking touch me!" he yelled out and JT fell at the shock of his sons words and the volume they were yelled at._

_"It was an accident!! I'm sorry! David…" he trailed off uselessly as he watched David flee from the room._

_"Dad?" Lauren called down from upstairs. "What was that?" she asked a little apprehensively. It was obvious that she heard what David had just yelled, the neighbors probably heard it._

_"Nothing," he called back up and resumed his sons position against the wall and stared into nothingness.

* * *

_

"Lib, why is David on our porch?" Toby asked as he came into the kitchen.

"What?" she looked at her husband in confusion. "David Yorke? Is JT here?"

Toby just shrugged and Liberty rolled her eyes.

"David? What are you doing here?"

He looked at the woman with caution and apprehension written on his face. "Not here," he said after a minute.

"Ok…well would you like to come in?" she asked as she held open the door.

He nodded slowly and walked into the house.

"Is your dad with you?" Toby asked with a smile as he saw his god son in the living room.

He shook his head. "I didn't know where else to go," he said lowly, voice cracking from pent up tears.

"David?" he asked as he crossed the room to him and sat down with him on the sofa.

He knew that the teenager felt weird being in his house and saw him primarily as his principal, even though his parents made both him and Liberty god parents, they never informally associated that much with each other outside of school and family parties.

"Is it Emma?" Liberty asked with eyes wide and David shook his head.

"Your father?" Toby tried and David swallowed and a tear fell.

The two adults looked at each other and automatically assumed the worst and Liberty grabbed hold of the doorway to brace herself.

"He, he hit me," he finally let out.

* * *

"It's just an arm," Jay pointed out as Paige stared at it with wide eyes. "I'm fine!"

"You're fine? You're out of work Jay. I don't know if you know this, but the Firefly doesn't bring in enough money for us to support a family anymore. Plus…I think Emma's out to get me," she added as an afterthought.

Jay just rose his eyebrows and looked at her. "What happened to you today?"

"What?"

"Did someone forget their Midol at home?" he asked her.

She glared at him but bit her tongue and held back the evil retort that she was gearing up to say. "It's just frustrating," she said softly.

"This?" he pointed to his arm. "This is nothing Paige. I get workman's comp for this anyway," he reminded her. "So our children will not starve, no worries," he said sarcastically.

"I know," she sighed. "There's just a lot of stuff going on right now…"

He hugged his wife to him with his one arm and kissed the top of her head. "We'll get through this ok? We have before," he said with a smile as he started walking towards the car and she followed slowly behind him.

He thought she was worried about him being out of work and Michelle and her ex-boyfriend. She gave an inward sigh of relief. Nobody really knew that she was pregnant; as soon as she found out she went to the states to be with her aunt and finished high school there and called it an exchange program. Her parents fed everyone a line about gaining some cultural knowledge and they all acted like they bought it but everyone had their suspicions, especially when all the sudden Spinner showed up with his new baby cousin as he called him. According to him his aunt and uncle were in the military and were transferred overseas and wanted their child to grow up at home but people weren't dumb. For his part, Spinner never told anyone the truth, not even his best friends. When Paige came back on the scene it was if nothing had changed and life continued, except now the two kids seemed a lot more friendlier than they were before. If Jay found out, she had no idea what he would do and that scared her to death. She knew that she wasn't doing herself any favors by holding this in for eighteen years, but she had just grown so accustomed to it. And right now, Jay didn't need to know.

_It's your time  
It's your day  
It's never too late  
To change lanes  
How's your life?  
How's your place?  
Was it where you wanted  
Your head to lay?_

But wait, you can breathe  
You can see what I can see  
Don't waste your time  
You can't make back

If you could rewind your time  
Would you change your life?

Do you like you?  
Do you love your wife?  
Or did you pick what  
You're told was right?

Dream and be  
What you feel  
Don't you compromise  
What you wanna be

'Cause change is okay  
What's the point in staying the same  
Regrets, forget what's dead and gone

If you could rewind your time  
Would you change your life?

If Jesus rode in on a camel today  
With your cross on his shoulder  
Time to take you away  
Have you done all you wanted?  
Are you happy and warm?  
Do you miss someone special  
You don't see anymore?  
Have you blood on your hands?  
Do you dream of white sands?  
Can you sleep well at night?  
Fave you done all you can?  
The place I was born in  
Stays crooked and straight  
I see innocent blue eyes  
Go blind everyday

Rewind your time  
Would you change your life  
Today? 


End file.
